Wayback Wednesdays 8 - 24 Hours
by The Real JL Rules
Summary: Based on the 2001 animated series. A day in the lives of the seven heroes... Originally written in 2003.
1. Chapter 1

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3\. Again, sorry about my depiction of Diana. I really treat her like a teenager. Ugh._

* * *

PART 1

18:30.

Batman stepped out of the costume chamber, in full attire. He straightened his glove as he walked, making sure everything was in place. He went to the Batcomputer, and began keying in a few commands. After a few seconds, his notes for tonight appeared on the screen. He pressed a button and the data was transferred to his online computer in the Batmobile.

He had nowhere special to go. Just a routine patrol. Once or twice round the entire city, check the usual places for activity. It had been quiet over the past couple of weeks, but he would not be complacent. Anything could happen – as he well knew.

He turned and went towards the Batmobile. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure standing a few yards away. He stopped and looked at it.

Diana smiled at him, holding two infants in her arms, one in each.

"You've got that down to an art," he said flatly.

"Well, sometimes it helps to be super-strong," Diana said. "Just a regular patrol tonight?"

"Well, as regular as it gets in this city," he said. "Where's Tim?"

"I'm here! I'm here!" a voice cried out from an adjoining room. Robin came running out of the training room, fixing his cape as he ran. "Sorry, but I had to reattach the punching bag after a record-breaking flying kick."

"Again?" Diana asked.

"Hey, that's me," Robin said. "I break records the way Flash cracks jokes. When it comes to breaking records, I'm the fastest Boy Wonder aliv…"

"Go wait in the car," Batman interrupted, looking at him. Robin looked incredulous, then went to the Batmobile.

Diana bobbed Faith and Thomas in her arms, and looked in the direction of Batman. "Say bye-bye to Daddy now…"

Batman gave a slight smile. It was still hard to believe. He was a husband and a father. He was married to the woman he adored, and he had two beautiful children. He never thought it would happen, and now that it had, he could not imagine his life without them.

He walked towards them, and pushed his cape back. He stopped a few inches from Diana, and stroked her arms gently. "I'll be back at the usual time," he said. "Will you be alright?"

"Bruce, it's been two months," Diana said. "I'll be alright, as I have been every night. I'll just feed the babies and put them to bed, and I have Alfred here if I need any help."

His face fell slightly, and he raised his arm and stroked her cheek. "And how will YOU be?" he asked lovingly. "Are you still in pain?"

Diana sighed. "I'm still a bit sore, but it's better. I'll be fine, Bruce. Stop worrying."

"I like worrying about you," he said. "Makes a change from worrying about Tim."

"Hey, I heard that!" Robin shouted from the passenger seat of the Batmobile.

Diana laughed, and Batman gave a small smirk. "We can go to the Watchtower tomorrow if you want," he said. "I know you want to see how Hawkgirl is."

"That would be nice," Diana said. "I still can't believe her and John are going to have a baby. I didn't think John would want kids."

"I have a feeling Hawkgirl wants to," Batman said. "She can be pretty insistent."

"Speaking of which," Diana said. "I want you back by four. No later. You understand?"

Batman sighed. "Yes, dear." He looked at the babies, and tickled their chins simultaneously. "Faith. Thomas." He then looked at Diana, and leaned closer. She mirrored the move.

Their lips met, and they kissed tenderly. Diana leaned closer, and the kiss deepened.

Robin held his head in his hand. "Yuk…"

Batman and Diana separated their lips, and broke the kiss. Diana looked at him lovingly. Batman took a moment to compose himself. "You know," he eventually said. "I heard it can be unhealthy for a child to see their parents so passionate…"

"They'll be alright," Diana said. "They'll just grow up knowing their parents love eachother." She sighed. "Be careful."

"I always am." Batman then gave a final stroke of her cheek, then stepped away. He turned around and strode towards the Batmobile. He then hopped into the driver's seat and pressed a button, starting the engine.

"I love you," Diana said.

"I love you too," Batman said.

"I love you too!" Robin said, waving.

Batman looked at him. Robin shrugged. "What?"

Batman sighed, then the cockpit closed, and the Batmobile drove up the ramp to the exit, leaving Diana shaking her head and grinning. "Sometimes I feel like we have three children. Maybe Dick and Barbara can adopt him…"

/

18:59.

"Come on, J'onn, the show's about to start!"

J'onn walked into the lounge. "It's OK, Flash, I'm here. I wouldn't miss your interview."

"Good," said Flash, stuffing some popcorn into his mouth. "'Cos this is the biggest interview I've ever done. And the interviewer's a real professional."

"And also a beautiful woman," said Green Lantern, looking up from his newspaper.

"Hey, that was purely coincidental," Flash said. "And I wouldn't joke so much, GL. I said some pretty nice things about you guys. Maybe I'll call up the show and tell them to retract my comments."

"First of all, I'm surprised you know what retract means," Lantern said. "And second, I don't think it would hold much weight seeing as the interview's being shown on national TV."

Flash was about to speak, when Lantern looked at J'onn. "How's Shayera?"

"She's fine," J'onn said. "I see no problems on the horizon."

"That's great. Thanks, J'onn." Lantern went back to his paper, but quickly lowered it again. "I still can't believe it. I'm going to be a father."

"Are you alright?" J'onn asked.

Lantern sighed. "Yeah… just… things are happening so fast…"

"Hey, look – I'm on!" Flash yelled.

Everyone turned to the TV to see Flash on the screen sitting in a chair. Opposite him was a young brunette with a clipboard. For the next half an hour, there was silence as Flash, Lantern and J'onn watched the show. Occasionally Lantern and J'onn would begin to talk, but Flash would shush them.

Once the show was over, Flash turned to them, a grin on his face. "Was I great or what?"

Lantern raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Flash got to his feet and went to put his empty popcorn packet in the bin. "Oh, very funny." As he sat down on a comfy chair, Shayera walked into the room.

"Hi guys," she said.

"Where have you been?" Flash said. "You missed my show!"

Shayera looked unbothered. "Oh. Dear."

"Where have you been?" Lantern asked.

Shayera sat down on the arm of Lantern's chair and put her arm around him. He took her other hand in his and pulled it close to him. "I've just been talking to Diana," Shayera said. "They're coming over tomorrow."

"Are they bringing the kids?" asked Flash.

"I assume so," said Shayera. "It's weird. We're going to have babies everywhere."

"Yes," said J'onn. "I better prepare more. Faith and Thomas' births were incredibly stressful. Maybe I should take up something easier, like brain surgery."

"Hey," said Flash, pointing at the Martian. "Why did you look at me when you said that?"

"Anyway," Shayera said. "It'll be good to see them again. It's been a few weeks. I've forgotten what the twins look like."

"We have pictures of them all over our room," said Lantern. "At this rate, there won't be any room for pictures of our own kid."

Flash stood up. "Well… anyway… I better go. I probably won't see you guys until the next meeting."

"Don't go," Shayera said. "I haven't seen you all day. How's Linda?"

Flash looked at her, and was silent for a moment. He then frowned. "Fine." With that, he left the room.

Lantern, J'onn and Shayera looked at the doorway. Lantern turned to them. "What was that all about?"

/

19:41.

Commissioner James Gordon stood by the edge of the roof, his coat wrapped around him. The night breeze blew through his white hair, and his breath blew steam from his mouth.

"What is it, Jim?"

Gordon sighed, and turned around. He went to the signal light that was on the roof, and pulled a lever. The spotlight it shone into the sky instantly disappeared, and the roof became darker. "You're not going to like it tonight," he said.

Batman and Robin appeared from behind the Batsignal. "I never do," the Dark Knight said. "What have you got for us?"

Gordon pulled out an envelope from his coat pocket. "You've heard of the Mannings Case?"

"Of course," said Batman. "There have been a series of robberies in the Mannings chain of superstores. All professional hits, no mistakes. But I don't see why you need us. Just have squads at every store, and wait."

Gordon held out the envelope. "Peter Mannings was kidnapped last night. His wife called it in when she woke up and he was gone. And the kidnappers left this."

Batman took the envelope and looked at it. He then pulled the flap open and reached into it. He pulled out a piece of paper, with large, colourful letters glued to it. He immediately recognised the calling card.

"Oh man," Robin groaned. "Not him…"

Batman read the message on the paper, then lowered it. "I assume you know why I called you now," Gordon said.

Batman opened a compartment on his utility belt and put the paper inside. "We'll be in touch soon," he said. "Have your men ready."

"Care to tell me what it means?" asked Gordon.

Batman was silent. "Something wrong, Jim?" he eventually asked.

"No," the Commissioner said. "Why?"

"You're glaring at us."

Gordon smiled. "Just want to see you leave. I'm not taking my eyes off you."

"I see," Batman said, unfazed. "Robin, your shoelace is untied."

Robin looked at his feet. Gordon followed his gaze. "Hey, I don't have shoelaces," the Boy Wonder said.

Gordon looked up again.

Batman was gone.

Gordon chuckled. "You knew he was going to do that, didn't you?"

Robin looked around. "No, I had no idea. You see him anywhere?"

Gordon looked at the surrounding buildings. "He's probably a block away now." He turned back to face the Robin. "You'd better go, if you want to catch up t…" He stopped.

Robin was gone.

Gordon groaned. "Kids. No respect for their elders."

/

21:08.

Wally West sat by the window, staring at the night sky. He had been home for hours, but had not done much. He had only made a sandwich, and it was still half uneaten on the coffee table. He had the lights on, but not the TV. The curtains were still open. He had made himself a cup of coffee, but it sat on the side, cold. He was even still in full costume, only his cowl off, which was lying on the table.

He did not want to do anything.

He was feeling lousy.

And he was feeling lousy BECAUSE he was feeling lousy.

He was a horrible person. He was in a terrible situation. And he could not do anything about it.

He should have done something. But he was too afraid. Afraid of hurting people. Afraid of hurting the people he cared for. But in considering their feelings… he was hurting himself.

Why did he not do anything? ANYTHING? He had just stood by… and watched it happen. He had done nothing… and now it was too late.

The phone rang. He made no move to answer it. After a few rings, the answer machine cut in. "Hi, this is the one and only Flash, idol of millions of women everywhere! If you are one of those millions, leave a message and I'll get back to you. You won't have to wait long – I'm the Fastest Man Alive!"

Wally groaned at the sound of his arrogant voice.

The answer machine bleeped, and a woman's voice spoke. "Wally, it's Linda. Where are you? I thought we were going out tonight? I waited at my apartment for over an hour. The restaurant's now closed. This is the fourth message I've left you. Please… if you're there, answer."

Wally remained in his chair.

"Oh Wally," Linda's voice continued, "I hope you're alright. I saw no supervillain stuff on the news. This is the fifth time this week you've haven't turned up. Please… if you get this message, call me. I'm worried." The machine bleeped again as the message ended.

Wally sighed and held his head. Now he WAS hurting the people he cared for.

He looked back out the window, at the stars. He had dreamed of doing so with HER, by his side. But he could not. He had blown it. It was too late.

He had tried to forget her. But he could not. As much as he distanced himself from her, she was all he could think about. Even though she was taken, he still thought he had a chance. What is a wedding, really? He thought he had all the time in the world, time to win her back, time to maker her love him.

But now it was different. She was pregnant. And that meant more than a marriage. She was bearing his child. There was a deeper bond between them. And he was too late. He had lost her.

Of course, he felt terrible for thinking this way. He was in a long-term relationship himself. And he loved Linda, really he did. But… he loved HER more. He pretended he did not… but he had never stopped loving her.

He sighed. "Man, this sucks…" he groaned.

He had lost Shayera. And that was the most painful loss of all.

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 2

23:55.

Batman threw his first into the punk's face, breaking his nose. The punk slumped to the floor, out cold.

Batman looked at the girl standing a few yards away. "I wouldn't walk home alone at night," he said. "These streets are never safe." He then held his arm in the air, and a hook fired from his grapple. It hit a fire escape above, and at the press of a button, the line retracted, sending Batman flying into the air, leaving the girl wide-eyed in the alley.

Batman reached the top of the fire escape and put his grapple back in his utility belt. He then climbed the rest of the ladder to the roof, and stepped onto it. He walked across the rooftop, until he got to the edge.

He put his hand back to his utility belt, and opened a compartment. He reached in to feel the object inside. Yes, it was still there.

He knew it was, of course. But he could not help checking. Every so often, he would check, just to make sure. After all, if he lost his wedding ring, Diana would kill him.

He could have left it at home. It would be far more sensible. But… he wanted to have it with him at all times. It made him feel better.

There was a small bleep, and Batman put his hand to his ear. "Robin to Batman."

Batman activated his cowl radio. "Batman here."

"Can I come and join you?" Robin asked. "It's boring."

"No," said Batman. "One of has to stay there for when the hit is made."

"But I've been here for hours," Robin said. "They probably won't show until later."

"Yes, probably," Batman said. "But they might strike earlier, to try and catch us off guard. Stay there and keep watch."

"I don't see why you have to have all the fun," continued Robin. "What are you doing, while I'm sitting on my butt? How do I know you're not on the phone to Diana telling her how much you love her and how beautiful she is and…"

"I'm on patrol," Batman interrupted. "I'm not thinking of Diana."

"Then tell me this," said Robin. "How many times have you checked your ring?"

Batman fell silent. Sometimes he regretted training the boy observation skills. "Batman out," he eventually said, before deactivating his cowl radio.

Batman stared at the surrounding buildings. He smiled slightly. As much as Robin complained about his relationship with Diana, he knew the boy cared about her. And he knew he was happy for him. Finally, his life was worth living. He had a beautiful wife, two beautiful children, and for the first time, friends. As much as he had tried to remain aloof, the Justice League had become his second family.

Batman removed his grappling hook from his belt and fired it at a nearby rooftop. As he swung into the air, he had a thought.

Had Tim been listening to his and Diana's private phone calls…?

/

00:14.

Shayera lay in bed, wide awake. She had not had a wink of sleep all night. She had several thoughts running through her head.

She was pregnant. She still could not believe it. She was going to have a baby. She and John were going to be a real family. Sure, it was fast… but, they had married fast. And it was not as if Batman and Diana had waiting long before having children.

Diana. Shayera frowned as she thought of her. She felt sorry for her best friend. Despite the happy occasion, she felt sorry for her. When J'onn had said that he saw no problems with her pregnancy, Shayera had of course felt enormous relief. But as she thought more of it, she began to think of Diana. Her pregnancy was so hard… she almost died. Of course, Shayera was glad her own pregnancy looked better… but she could not help feeling sorrow for Diana.

Shayera sat up in bed. There was no way she was going to get to sleep. Her mind would just not stop. She decided to go to the kitchen and get something to eat. Soon she would have cravings… she might as well get some practice in.

She looked at John. He was out, as he always was. As much as she loved him, he was a bother at night. They were cuddly sleepers, but… he snored horribly. So every night she would hug him really tight, then roll him onto his side of the bed. For someone with hearing like a hawk, having someone snore down your ears was not pleasant.

She slid out of bed, though she might as well have jumped. Nothing would wake John now. She slipped her feet into her slippers, and reached for her dressing gown. Putting it on, she crept towards the door, then quietly opened it. She walked out of the room, and closed the door behind her.

As she went down the corridor, her thoughts turned to Flash. He had acted strangely earlier on. When she had mentioned Linda… he had suddenly gone all serious. He had also left quickly, even for him. He had been acting oddly around her for a couple of weeks now… keeping his eyes from her, not saying much… sure, sometimes he would be his old self, but others, he would distance himself from her.

It was almost like when…

Shayera stopped.

Oh no. Not that. Please not that.

Could he still… after all this time?

No. He could not be. He was with Linda. He had a girlfriend.

And she was married. And pregnant. He could not…

Could he?

No. She was worrying about nothing. Letting her imagination run away with her. He was with Linda. There was no way he still felt…

But what if he did? How would she handle it? COULD she handle it?

Shayera began to walk down the corridor, but she was getting more anxious with each step.

She needed to have a drink. Have a coffee. Have a Mount Dew. She needed something to calm her down. She was getting worked up.

She reached the kitchen, and went to the table. She made herself a cup of coffee, stirring the milk around for several moments. She then sat down, numb. The thought kept running through her head. Was he still… did he…

No. She was thinking crazy. There was no way he was still… and no way he would…

There was no way.

Was there?

/

01:25.

Batman swung through the air, and pressed a button on his grapple. The hook attached to a rooftop two hundred yards away opened, releasing itself. Batman fell freely, aiming his descent. He raised his arms, his cape opening wide to catch the air.

He landed on the rooftop, and when his line had retracted, put his grapple back in his utility belt. He then went upto the figure crouching on the edge of the roof. "What's happening?" he said.

"They came in about ten minutes ago," Robin said. "Through the roof. They've been there ever since."

Batman looked at the bank on the other end of the street, at the roof. The skylight was still open. "OK," he said. "You stay here while I check it out."

Robin looked at him. "What? There were only eight of 'em. Let's just go in and kick their butts."

"Did they have Peter Mannings with them?"

Robin nodded. "Why?"

"That makes it a hostage situation," Batman said. "I'll assess the situation first, try and get him safe."

"You mean have all the fun," Robin mumbled.

Batman raised his eyebrow. "I'll make sure you get to kick some of their butts," he said flatly. He removed his grapple and fired it at the bank. The hook attached itself to the fire escape, and Batman pulled the line taunt. "Wait for my signal."

"You just want to be all macho so you can go back and tell Diana you took down eight men single-handedly," said Robin. "Then she'll be like, 'Oh my hero' and all kissy-kissy."

"She wouldn't be too impressed," Batman said. "I've seen her take down twenty men." With that, he leapt off the roof, swinging to the bank.

He flew towards the building, and as he got closer, he pressed the retract button on the grapple. As he neared it, he held out his hand. When he was close enough, he grabbed a pole of the fire escape, cushioning the impact with his feet and cape. He then retracted the rest of the line, until he was at the top of the roof.

He walked along the surface until he got to the skylight. He looked down at the building inside. The top floor was a large office, and was untouched. He silently jumped down into the building, landing inside on the floor. He then went to the elevator and pressed the down button.

Once he had stepped onto the elevator, gone down, and stepped off at the ground floor, he looked around. He could hear voices near. He recognised all of them. He smiled slightly. This would be fun.

He liked reunions.

He stayed close to the wall, listening. He went into another room. It was the main part of the bank, where the public came. He looked over and saw the vault. Sure enough, they were there.

He watched as the gang's leader, a thin man with a bola hat and a cane, shouted at another man, who Batman realised was Peter Mannings. "Open the vault!" the man in the hat said. "We haven't got all day."

"But… I can't," Mannings said. "I don't know the combination…"

"Don't give me that! You worked at this bank for ten years! You must know some way to get inside that! Or maybe a bullet with jog your memory…" The man pointed his cane at Mannings' kneecap…

Suddenly, a batarang flew from the shadows, striking the cane. The weapon was knocked off direction, and it shot a bullet into the wall. The man looked at the batarang. "Oh no…" he said.

Batman activated his cowl radio. "Now." He then turned it off, and stepped out of the shadows.

"Don't just stand there!" the man said. "Get him!"

The thugs in green and grey clothing approached Batman…

Batman sighed. It WAS a pity Diana was not here to see this…

/

01:34.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"

Diana sat up in bed, and sighed deeply. Her hair was a mess. Her eyes were heavy. Her nightie was creased. She looked over at her bedside clock and moaned.

She slowly pushed the duvet away and shuffled out of bed. The noise kept going from down the hall, echoing off the walls. She put her slippers on and put on her dressing gown. She then went to the door, her legs barely working. She reached the door, and went to turn the handle. In her tired state, she could only turn it lightly.

The door would not open.

Diana frowned, as she wondered why the door refused to open. Tired, she did not have the energy to realise it was locked, and turned the handle again.

Nothing.

She sighed, and rested her head on the door. She listened to the sound of high-pitched screaming, and she held her head. Would this night ever end?

She looked at the doorhandle, as her head cleared. She gripped it again, and was about to turn it, when she noticed something crinkling under her feet.

She looked down to see a piece of paper that had been slipped under the door.

She squinted as she focused on the words written on it. She had to read it a few times before the words made sense.

"PLEASE STAY IN BED, MA'AM. I WILL SEE TO THE CHILDREN."

She sighed, and rested her head back on the door. This was the fourth time Alfred had insisted he see to the babies, but the first time he had locked Diana in the bedroom. She could easily escape, but she was so tired…

Maybe she should just go back to bed. Leave Alfred to see to the kids. It was not as if she was forcing him to. He kept insisting that he would tend to them. And he was so good with them.

Diana sighed. She closed her eyes as the crying continued. As tired as she was… her heart ached.

She could not do it. She could not leave her children crying. She had to go to them.

She turned the doorhandle slowly, the lock easily snapping. She opened the door and went down the corridor. The crying became louder as she approached the babies' room. Maybe they had fallen… or maybe they had dropped their toys. Maybe they were too hot… or too cold.

Maybe… or…

Suddenly, there was a crash. The crying stopped, and Diana widened her eyes. She began to run down the corridor. Her babies were in trouble… she would get to them… make them safe…

She reached the bedroom door, and threw the door open.

She stopped at the sight that met her.

Faith and Thomas were sitting on the side table, and began to giggle.

On the floor was a broken jug, with milk all over the carpet.

Alfred stood in the middle of the room, the bottom of the jug on his head.

He looked at Diana casually. "Hello, ma'am," he said.

Diana rested her head in her hands and smiled slightly. "Oh, Alfred…"

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 3

01:54.

"How did you figure it how? HOW? TELL ME!"

Batman watched the Riddler rant and rave from inside the pickup van. His thugs were also inside, sitting quietly. A couple of cops went into the front of the van and started the engine.

Commissioner Gordon looked away from Peter Mannings, who had a cup of coffee in his hand and a cop at his side. Gordon went upto the front of the van. "Wait a minute," he said.

Riddler forced his face out of the window of the van's back door as much as he could. "Well? How did you know I'd go to the bank?"

Batman looked at him. "Your clue was, 'Places we go, places we've been, we went from green to green'. The 'places been' referred to Mannings' previous job at the bank, and the 'green to green' referred to him leaving the bank, the place of money, and starting his own company, where he made millions."

Riddler was silent, then stuck his hand out of the window and pointed at Batman. "I will outwit you, Batman! I will win one day! You haven't seen the last of me! One day I will beat you! You hear me? ONE DAY! I will prove that I am your better, Batman! I will…"

"Take him away," Gordon said.

The van started moving, and as it drove off, Riddler was still shouting. He disappeared round the street corner, going to the station.

Gordon went upto Batman and Robin. "Pretty cut-and-dried. We'll take Mr. Mannings' home, and have police watch his place for the next couple of days."

Batman removed his grapple from his utility belt, and pointed it at the rooftop. However, before he could press the fire button, Gordon spoke again. "There's something else."

Batman looked at him. "Yes?"

Gordon smiled. "You're getting an award."

Batman was surprised. "What?"

"For all the help you've done after the quake," said Gordon. "The Gotham Health Service has recommended you for a medal."

Batman lowered his grapple. "What are you talking about?"

"Dr. Leslie Thompkins has personally put your name forward," Gordon said.

Batman sighed. He would have to have a word with Leslie.

Robin stepped forward. "Do I get one?"

Batman glared at him. "Robin."

Robin went quiet.

"It's happening at the Policemen's Ball next month," said Gordon. "Will you be there?"

Batman sighed. He raised his arm again, and fired his grapple. The hook attached itself to the building's roof.

Batman looked at Gordon. "My wife will be so proud."

With that, he flew up, closely followed by Robin.

Gordon watched them disappear into the night sky. "Did he just crack a joke?"

/

04:45.

Bruce carefully opened the door, and immediately noticed something wrong. He looked closely at the door's lock. It had been snapped. The locking bar lay on the floor.

He smiled. He instantly knew what must have happened. He just wondered how Alfred would survive the Amazon's rage in the morning.

He went into the bedroom as quietly as he could. He looked over at the kingsize bed, the moonlight shining through the window, illuminating the sheets. Diana lay in the bed, her back to him, facing the other side of the bed.

He walked around the bed, removing his jogging jacket as he went. He went to his side of the bed, and looked at Diana's position. She was laying almost in the middle of the mattress, her arm spread over the other side. The duvet was draped over her, and her head was resting on the pillow, her hair falling behind her. The sheets rose slightly as she breathed, and she sighed as she breathed out. Her outstretched arm stroked his side of the bed, as if trying to find him, and she frowned and moaned slightly, as if disappointed that she had not found him.

His smile widened as he stared at her. He loved her with all his heart, and he was overjoyed that they were spending their lives together. She was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he only hoped he made her a fraction happy that she made him. She was his new reason for being, and she made his life worth living.

He removed his jogging pants, and pulled back the duvet. He slipped into bed, delicately lifting Diana's arm. He then lay down, and put her arm forward, until it was resting against her own body. However, as soon as he let go and settled down, her arm immediately flew out and rested itself on his chest.

He looked at her. Her frown was now gone, and the smile widened on her face. She sighed satisfactorily.

Bruce moved his arm up and stroked her hair. They had more than just a physical bond. It was as if they felt eachother's feelings. They knew what the other was thinking. He had never had that bond with anyone before. It only strengthened their bond, and their love.

He stroked her hand on his chest, then held it lightly. He slowly lifted it and brought it to his face. He kissed it gently, and looked at the face of the woman he loved. She was the most beautiful thing in the world, and he would always be there for her. As long as she lived, she would not feel pain.

He did not sleep for the rest of the night. He just lay there, holding the woman he adored close…

/

05:34.

"Check it out – 'Acquired'. That's all of my pieces used up, and a Triple Word score. Your move."

J'onn J'onzz sat cross-legged on the floor, his hands arched infront of his face. He stared at the scrabbleboard, thinking about what to do. He looked at his letters on his little tile holder closely, wondering what would be the best word. He was winning the game – 250 to 229 – but he had to keep on his toes. His opponent was clever, and could easily beat him.

Although, he had yet to in all the months they had been playing…

J'onn picked up seven letters and put them on the board. As he removed his hands, he smiled and looked at his opponent. "You're move."

His opponent looked at him. "That's not a word."

J'onn remained unfazed. "It's a Martian word."

"Prove it."

J'onn sighed and reached for the scoresheet. "You know very well I don't have a copy of the Martian dictionary," he said. "You'll just have to take my word for it."

His opponent raised his arm. "Maybe I should take this claw and stick it up your…"

"It's your move," J'onn interrupted. "Unless you wish to admit defeat…"

Aquaman smiled. "Oh no… you're not getting out of it that easily…"

"I believe it would be you who would be 'getting out of it'," said J'onn. "I am undefeated."

"Only because you make up words…" Aquaman replied.

"Do I complain when you use Atlantean words?" asked J'onn. "Besides, aren't you telepathic?"

Aquaman folded his arms. "Maybe. And you complained last week."

"You used a false word," said J'onn.

"Says who?"

"Says the Atlantean dictionary."

Aquaman frowned. "You've read that?"

J'onn smiled. "I memorised a copy during our first game." He wrote his score on the paper. "I'm winning, 270-229."

Aquaman sighed. He then picked up some of his letters and put them on the board. J'onn raised an eyebrow. "Impressive." He handed out the scoresheet to the Atlantean King.

Aquaman made no effort to take it. "Why do you come here?" he suddenly asked.

J'onn looked at him. "Because you insist on weekly games because you keep losing."

Aquman chuckled. "No, I mean… why did you come here in the first place? Is it boring at that satellite of yours?"

J'onn was silent. He considered not answering, but knew the Atlantean would just keep asking. "It is… crowded there."

"I'd have thought you'd like the company," said Aquaman. "Though I can see that they might not be the best company…"

"They are fine people," said J'onn. "It's just… they're very close."

"And you feel left out," Aquaman pressed.

"No," J'onn responded. "But… it just reminds me of what I've lost… it can be painful. And they're so close and personal together… I feel too uptight around them. That's why I come here… we're very much alike."

Aquaman looked puzzled. "I'm uptight?"

"You know responsibilities. You look over an entire civilisation. You know it's a serious business. And I apparently don't have much of a 'funny bone'."

Aquaman put his hand on the Martian's shoulder. "I understand. Rather you than me. Heck, if I was around them 24/7, I think I'd kill them."

"Then we would not be friends anymore," J'onn said flatly.

"We're friends?" Aquaman seemed surprised.

"I assume so," J'onn answered.

"Well, in that case," Aquaman said. "Let me be a good friend and kick your butt at Scrabble."

"I would not be a good friend for letting you have an easy victory," J'onn said, smiling. "I'm afraid you'll have to beat me on your own…"

Aquaman frowned. "Darn."

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 4

07:01.

"Wakey-wakey, rise and shine! It's a big day today!"

Lois Lane opened her eyes, and she saw a blurry figure walk upto the other side of the room. It then flew its arms to the side, and the room was filled with light. Lois squinted as the morning sun shone through the window. She threw her duvet over her head.

The figure went upto the side of the bed and knelt down. "Come on, birthday girl," it said. "I've got breakfast in bed, and lots of presents for you to open."

Lois grumbled from under her duvet. "Clark… what did I tell you?"

Clark rocked her body slightly. "I don't recall. Come on, special lady. I made you eggs…"

Lois slowly lowered the duvet, and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light. "I told you…" she said slowly, "not to mention this day to me."

"Don't be silly," Clark said. "It's not every day you turn…"

"DON'T!" Lois interrupted. "This is no different from any other day. It's nothing special. Now stop smiling and get out of my way."

Clark raised himself and sat on the side of the bed. "Come on, honey," he said. "Just have a bite. I spend ages preparing it."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Lois scoffed, sitting up. "Let me guess, thirty seconds?"

"Twenty, actually," Clark replied, grinning. "Now I've spoken with Perry, and you have the day off today. After we have breakfast and you open your presents, we can go over and say hi…"

"YOU WHAT?" Lois yelled. "Clark, I haven't had a day off in over two years! And I'm not going to start now just because I'm…. just because it's my birthday."

Clark reached from behind him. "Oh yeah… thanks for reminding me." Suddenly, he whipped a wrapped box from the foot of the bed. "Happy birthday."

Lois sat there, her arms folded. She tried to remain angry, but looking at Clark's expectant face… she felt her resolve slipping. "Well…" she said, "since it's a present…" She took the box, and slowly ripped the paper. She then looked at the object in a gold box. "What is this?"

"It's a flower from Spain," Clark said. "It only grows on one small island. It's supposed to symbolise eternal love."

Lois took the flower out of the box. "Oh Clark… it's beautiful…"

"Well, it takes beauty to see beauty…" Clark said quietly.

Lois smiled. "Come here…"

They leaned close, and kissed deeply. She caressed his cheek, and he ran his hand through her hair. The kiss deepened, and she wrapped her arm around the back of his neck.

He broke the kiss, and looked at her. "So… am I forgiven?"

Lois sighed. "Clark?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

They kissed again, and lowered themselves slowly down to the mattress…

/

08:38.

Diana sat on the coach, watching the TV, with Faith and Thomas sitting on the floor, on their little mat. There was a preschool kid's show on, with men in fat colourful outfits jumping up and down. Diana smiled at the idea. Man's World was so odd sometimes.

She heard footsteps behind her, and turned around to see Bruce walk into the lounge. Her smile widened. "Hello, darling."

Bruce returned the smile. "Hi." When he reached the coach, he leaned down. Diana raised her head slightly, and they kissed lovingly. Diana raised her arm and stroked his cheek slowly, and he ran his hand through her hair.

The kiss lasted ten seconds, which was short for them. They separated their lips, and Diana sighed. "I missed you last night."

"I know," Bruce said, moving round the coach. "I saw the lock."

Diana giggled. "Alfred's been hiding from me all morning. Once I see him, I'm going to have to tell him some ground rules. I won't be locked in my own bedroom."

Bruce sat next to her on the coach and leaned forward. He watched as his children watched the TV, bobbing up and down with the colourful figures on the show. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up," he said. "I was updating my files."

She leaned close to him, and slipped her arm through his. "That's another reason I missed you. It was just even longer before I could see you."

"I'm sorry," he said. "But we'll go to the Watchtower later. You can talk with Hawkgirl. I know you want to know how she is."

"I want to spend the day with you," Diana said, leaning closer. "I miss you so much at night…"

"I miss you too," Bruce said, stroking her cheek. "But Dick and Barbara are away. It's up to me to look after Gotham. They can't take over for me at the moment."

Diana sighed. "I take it you're going to the training room now."

"In a minute," he said. "Just my usual workout. I'll be finished by midday."

"Good," Diana said. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Because I'm staying with you all day today."

Bruce looked at her. "You'll only be bored…"

Diana smiled. "I won't be denied…"

They leaned to kiss again, but were interrupted by a loud scream. They both looked at the floor, and saw Thomas had fallen onto his side.

"Oopsy-daisy," Diana said, unhooking herself from Bruce and getting on her knees on the floor. "Bash bash."

Bruce stood up and smiled. "If you have any problems, go to Alfred. I'm sure he'll do anything you say." He turned and went to the door.

"Bruce?"

Bruce looked back at his family.

Diana blew him a kiss. "You were late last night. Don't be late this afternoon."

Bruce sighed. "Yes, dear."

/

10:31.

Hawkgirl flew through the morning sky, her wings gliding with the breeze. The sun shone down on her, and the clouds floated above her. But she hardly noticed. She had other things on her mind.

She could not stop thinking about it. Once she had drank her coffee and returned to bed, she had not had a wink of sleep. The thought refused to leave her mind; it kept running through her mind, and the more she thought of it, the more it made sense.

Flash had been in love with her. It did not take a detective to realise he felt that strongly. The whole awkwardness following Christmas… her first night with John… Flash's nervous talks with her… their kiss… the argument on TV… you do not do those kinds of things if you just 'like' someone. She had been flattered, but she just did not feel the same way towards him. She loved him like a friend, and despite their banter, she felt closer to him than any other Leaguer… with the exception of John and Diana, of course.

But… so much had happened since then. She and John had become a couple… Flash had moved on – or at least, apparently moved on – and had met Linda. He always talked about her, and it looked like he had finally found "the one". And of course, she and John had eloped, and now she was pregnant.

Everything was perfect. Everything was set. She and John were together, and about to start a family. Flash was in a real relationship, and it looked like he had let her go.

But… what if he had not…?

It was the previous night that made it click. Hawkgirl had asked about Linda… and Flash's usual-loose mood instantly hardened. And, the way he looked at her… it was almost… resentment.

He had been acting weirdly for a few weeks now. He had been breaking dates with Linda… spending more time at the Watchtower… always changing the subject when conversation turned to her and John's baby… and he was always around her.

Just like he was… when…

Hawkgirl sighed. She felt egotistical, but there was no doubt – Flash still had feelings for her. Enough feelings for him to risk his relationship with Linda.

But… WOULD he risk it? What if he made a move… what if he tried to…?

Flash was, despite his behaviour, a good man. But… love makes people do strange things. Risky things. It had been dangerous enough before… now that she was pregnant…

She held her head. She had to talk to him… but how could she? What would she say? What would HE say? What would he DO?

She had to find out. She could not keep going on like this. She had to know. One way or another… the situation had to be closed.

She turned around in the air, and soured back towards the open country to where she had left the Javelin-7…

/

12:19.

Diana watched the TV, unsure of what to make of what she was watching. It was a movie that Flash referred to as a "chick-flick", and Shayera had recommended it… but she did not understand it. Could this girl not see that her boss was a pig, and that the other man was the nice one? And why did she write in a diary so much?

She heard footsteps behind her, and turned her head. Bruce was at the doorway. She smiled. "What did I say about being late?"

"And what did I say about threatening me?" Bruce said, a smile forming on his own face. He went around the coach and sat down next to her. Diana took a moment to look at him. She loved him with all her heart, and only hoped she made him a millionth as happy as he made her. "Are the kids in bed?" he asked.

"Yes, I took them up earlier," Diana said. She reached for the remote, and turned the TV off. She felt the need to get nearer to him. She moved closer to him, and put her arm on his shoulder. "Bruce…?" she said quietly.

He looked at her. "Yes?"

Diana leaned closer, and kissed him tenderly on the lips. She wanted to stay in the kiss forever, but forced herself to break it. She looked at him lovingly and smiled. "Did you have a nice workout?"

Bruce nodded. "It was good enough. Did a thousand situps, did some acrobatics with the ropes. Lifted some weights. Nothing unusual."

She sighed, then put her hand on his knee. Bruce looked down and blinked. She giggled at his reaction. He was so cute when he was surprised. "What… did you do with the kids?"

"They watched their programme," she said nonchalantly, "then we had a bit of a play, Alfred fed them, then I put them to bed. I told Alfred about the lock… and I said if he ever did that again, I'd lock him in HIS room."

"That's… good…" Bruce stammered. He looked back at Diana's hand. "Are you… feeling OK?"

Diana sighed, and leaned back on the coach. She looked at him seductively. It had been months. She could not wait any longer. "Bruce…" she soothed, "the kids are asleep…"

Bruce looked at her, puzzled. His eyes then widened, as realisation seemed to hit him. "Diana… I don't know…"

She sat up and leaned close to him again. "Darling…" She kissed him again, deeper than before. She stroked his chest, and pressed her lips harder on his. He raised his hand and caressed her cheek, but then gently pushed her away, breaking the kiss.

"Diana… you're still in pain…" he whispered.

"I'm fine," she said. "I'll be fine…" She leaned close again, and they kissed yet again. She put her hand behind his head, and pressed harder on his lips. She had completely lost herself in her desire.

Despite his protests, Bruce responded, returning the kiss and running his hands through her hair. He slowly lowered her down, until they were laying on the coach.

Their kiss deepened, and Bruce lowered his hand down…

Diana moaned with pleasure…

Bruce moved his hand lower…

Suddenly, sharp pain shot through Diana. She tore her lips from his, and winced. "Arrgh!"

Bruce looked at her, worried. "Diana? Are you OK?"

Diana was silent, as the pain faded. Her eyes were closed, and the pain was quickly replaced with annoyance. She looked down, her hands loosening her grip on his head. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she shook her head. The moment was ruined.

"Diana, are you OK?" Bruce repeated.

She looked at him, disappointed in herself. "I'm OK… I just…"

He raised himself, giving her room to breathe. "I'm sorry…" he said. "I shouldn't have…"

"It's OK," Diana said. "I guess… I'm not ready yet."

Bruce sat up, and Diana raised herself and rested on the back of coach. She sighed in frustration. How much longer would it take to recover from her pregnancy?

"I'll… go get the babies' things ready," Bruce said. He stroked her cheek. "Are you sure you're OK?"

Diana nodded. "Yes… don't worry. I'll… be with you in a minute."

Bruce looked at her, and kissed her delicately. He then stood up, and went to the door. He took one last look at her, then left the room.

Diana held her head in her hand. How much longer would she have to wait…?

TO BE CONCLUDED


	5. Chapter 5

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 5

13:44.

Flash went into the kitchen, and looked around. It was empty. Good. He was not in the mood for company.

But of course, if he was not in the mood for company, what was he doing there?

He sighed. He knew the answer, of course.

He wanted to be near her. Just… around her brought him joy. But then, that was because he…

He…

He groaned. How could he still feel this way? He should have forgotten about her months… a year ago. But he could not. No matter how hard he tried to let her go, he had to admit it…

He still loved her.

He went upto the side table and opened the cupboard. He took a mug and clicked on the kettle. He opened a drawer and took out a spoon. He then put some coffee into his mug and reached for the sugar. Once the kettle had boiled, he poured some water into his mug, then began putting in his regular thirty-seven sugars.

He did the whole process on autopilot. He was too depressed to think about what he was doing. All he could think about was her.

Still, hopefully today would not be a totally regrettable. Batman and Diana were coming up later, and they were bringing the kids. Flash was looking forward to seeing his little trooper, his little princess. He felt particularly proud of Faith. He had breathed life into her, and it was without a doubt the best thing he had ever done in his life. He knew she was not his daughter, but… he loved her like one.

He heard footsteps and turned to see Hawkgirl at the doorway. He froze. Not now…

She looked at him, her arms behind her back. "Hi," she said cautiously.

"Hi," he replied, as casually as he could.

She walked closer, and Flash could tell she was nervous. Did she know…?

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm… fine," he said. He went to the table, and sat down. He began to sip his coffee, trying not to look at her.

She took a seat opposite him. The tension in the room was unbearable. "Flash…"

He was silent, but when he looked up and saw her face, his heart ached. Despite her mask, he could still tell her expression was saddened. "Yes?" he eventually said.

She looked at the table. Flash put down his coffee and looked at her. He felt terrible. How could he still love her? It was wrong. She was married. Pregnant. He was just what she always called him – a jerk.

"How's… Linda?" she asked quietly.

Flash froze again. To hear her say Linda's name… felt terrible. All he could think about was her… he did not WANT to think about Linda.

Oh man… did he just think that?

"She's fine," he said. "How are you?"

"Flash…" she said. "There's something I need to know…"

Flash frowned. He was incredibly conflicted. He did not want to cause her pain… but he wanted her more than anything.

Before Hawkgirl could say anything else, J'onn walked into the room. "Batman and Diana are here," he said. "They've just arrived. The children are already stressing Green Lantern."

Hawkgirl sighed and stood up. "OK… I'll be there in a moment. Flash, can we talk later?"

Flash got to his feet and went to the door, as J'onn left back down the corridor. "If you like. I'm gonna go see the kids. Later." With that, he whizzed down the corridor as fast as he could.

Sometimes it helped to be the Fastest Man Alive…

/

16:09.

Faith and Thomas stared at Lantern. He sighed. "They're just staring at me."

Diana giggled. "Maybe if you create something more exciting than a bubble with your ring…"

Lantern looked at his hand, and the energy bubble emanating from his ring dissipated. "Well, I was amused with bubbles when I was a kid," he said.

"If that's true," said Flash, "I'm sorry."

J'onn smiled as Lantern frowned at the Scarlet Speedster. He looked around the room at his new family. Lantern and Flash were on the floor with Faith and Thomas, and they had spent the last couple of hours entertaining them. Well… Flash had been making them laugh. Lantern had just either made them yawn or cry.

Diana was sitting on the coach, smiling down on her children. However, J'onn had sensed some discomfort in her. Nothing too serious, just… something that was on her mind. Some… frustration. It did not take J'onn's telepathy to figure out what she was stressed over. But he had no worries that everything would be OK. It was just going to take time.

Hawkgirl was sitting in an easy chair. To J'onn's surprise, he sensed unease in her too. But it was more intense. It was something personal to her… something distressing. He wanted to find out what was worrying her, but he did not want to pry. But it was different to Diana's discomfort. J'onn could sense it was causing Hawkgirl pain. He would have to have a talk with her.

He looked at Batman, who was standing near the back of the room. He never quite knew what to do. Despite his loosening up since he started his relationship with Diana, the Dark Knight still had trouble socialising. Even now, when they had come to the Watchtower as friends, he still distanced himself. The only person he opened himself up to was, obviously, Diana. But J'onn regretted that Batman felt he could not relax more around the other Leaguers. Then again, J'onn was hardly the loosest person there…

He watched as Flash flipped a toy between his hands at superspeed. The children began giggling and bobbing up and down on their bottoms. J'onn smiled as Thomas reached out for the toy, and Flash passed it to his other hand. Faith squealed as she lunged at the toy. She grabbed it, and the force of her push sent Flash falling backwards. "Whoa.." he said, as he put his arm out to break his fall. "She's pretty strong…"

Diana shrugged. "She'll be quite the Amazon," she said. "Stop playing with them, Flash. Give them the toy."

As Flash handed the toy to Faith, J'onn sighed. His new family would never replace his old, but all things considered, his life had turned out pretty good…

/

18:22.

Batman stepped out of the costume chamber, and pulled his glove on tighter. He then put his hand to his collar, and shifted his cape slightly. He had made pretty good time. He had not made a particular effort to be quicker, but he had tried to be ready earlier than usual. He had been told off enough today.

He went upto the Batcomputer and uploaded his notes for the night. He pressed a button on the console, and the data was transferred to the Batmobile's onboard computer.

He turned and went towards the car. As he walked, he saw a figure standing a few yards away. He stopped and looked to see Diana smiling, holding Faith and Thomas in her arms, as she did every night.

He went upto her and stroked her arm. "Am I early enough tonight?"

Her smile widened. "Yes… just make sure you don't be late home."

Batman took a step closer to her, and put his hand to her cheek. "Are you going to keep ordering me about?"

"Until you start obeying me, yes," she said. Her smile fell. "Please… come home on time tonight."

He sighed. "Diana…"

"Please…" she whispered. "I miss you so much…"

Batman looked down. He hated this. He had sworn that as long as he could do anything about it, Diana would not be hurt. But he was hurting her himself. He had promised to make some changes when the children were born… but he had not. He had kept going on patrol, kept taking risks… Dick, Barbara and Tim had offered to take care of the patrols, but he had been stubborn. He knew how to be a crimefighter… he did not know how to be a husband and father.

He looked up at her, and could tell the sadness in her eyes. He had not realised how lonely she was… all she had were the kids during the day, and an empty bed at night. "Diana… I'm sorry. I'll… try and be home early."

She smiled faintly. "Listen… I'm sorry about earlier. I just… I love you so much… and it's been so long…"

"It's OK," he said. "I just don't want you to hurt yourself… you need to recover. I love you… and I don't want you to get hurt." He leaned close, and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

She closed her eyes. "Bruce… I'm sorry. I'm being silly. Just… ignore me. I'll be OK." She looked at him. "Go do what you have to. I'll be waiting."

Batman sighed, and looked into her eyes. He loved her so much… what was he doing to her? He was so focused on his quest… he had lost sight of his new one. He had a wife and children… he should be with THEM. And he wanted to be… he wanted to be so much…

But… he could not.

He…

He looked into her eyes…

He stroked her hair. "I love you so much… I know I said I'd make changes… and I will. I promise you. We'll… talk about it tomorrow, yes?"

She nodded slightly. "You don't have to… I'm just in a funny mood…"

Batman looked at Faith and Thomas. They were tired, nearly falling asleep in Diana's arms. He moved his arms to them and tickled their chins. "Don't keep Mommy up tonight…"

Diana giggled. "You're so cute…"

Batman smiled at her. "I'll be back in the morning. Tomorrow we'll… go out. I'll take you somewhere nice."

"Anywhere would be fine, as long as you're with us," Diana said.

He caressed her cheek. "It won't always be this way. I promise." With that, he turned around, and strode towards the Batmobile. He hopped into it, and sat in the cockpit. "I love you," he said.

"That's my line," she said.

"The first of the changes I'm going to make," he said. "Don't break any locks tonight."

She grinned. "I won't. I love you."

"Give the kids a kiss goodnight for me." With that, he closed the cockpit, and started the engine. The car moved forwards, and it drove up the ramp, Diana and the babies watching it go…

Batman watched them in the rearview mirror, and sighed.

It would not always be this way…

THE END


End file.
